I'm three bites into my shrimp fajitas at a new (to me) Mexican restaurant, when the waitress appears at the table inquiring how the meal tastes. I pause, wiping my mouth as a stall mechanism, while I frantically try to piece together words and form a polite response. A simple "it's good" is all I can muster. She smiles and walks away. I frown. The shrimp's fishy odor, which arrived at the table well before the plate, lingers over me like a putrid fog. The menu touted fajitas with onions and peppers, but as I prod what appears to be an entire white onion, julienned and inexplicably watery, I manage to locate only three scrawny slices of pepper. Defeated, I push the plate and all its blandness aside, and focus my attention on the chips and salsa.
Few things are more disappointing than a bad meal, and we all have our horror stories: a chicken finger that was crispy on the outside but slimy and pink in the middle, an insect hiding under the leafy lettuce of your sandwich, or the hair that made its way into your mashed potatoes (insert fits of uncontrollable shuddering here). In instances like these, where the kitchen has clearly made a mistake, I have no qualms voicing my concerns and rejecting the plate. The resolution is not so clear-cut when I simply don't like a dish. Whether the flavor combination doesn't jive with my palate or the quality of preparation is lacking, I oftentimes bite my tongue while wondering whether the problem lies in the meal or my taste buds.
To be fair, restaurants are not perfect—they have off nights just like we all do—but as a paying customer, when do you put your fork down and your hand up? My natural inclination is to silently condemn the establishment, but if the dish is so muddled that I suffer a loss of appetite, I will risk being "that guy" and demand corrective action. In these heated moments, I seek compassion for the server, who is ultimately just the bearer of bad food, not the creator. When all else fails, at least I have the sweet satisfaction of giving the restaurant a big fat thumbs down on Urbanspoon.
Three questions to ask before you complain:
1. Did the restaurant make a mistake (e.g., is the food under cooked, over-flavored, etc.)?
YES: you are justified in complaining, my friend.
NO: go to question #2.
2. Does the problem lie in the flavor or combination of ingredients?
YES: don't complain. Restaurants are not responsible for (or capable of) satisfying every palate.
NO: go to question #3.
3. Are there other factors affecting your opinion of the meal (e.g., poor service or a loud atmosphere)?
YES: take these situational factors into account before complaining.
NO: think about complaining. Restaurants want to provide great service and keep you coming back. If you have constructive feedback, share it.
Post written for Urbanspoon by Mary Cowx of Fervent Foodie
Source: http://www.urbanspoon.com/blog/92/Tastefully-Handling-Distaste.html
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